760818 - Lecture SB 01.07.06 - Hyderabad

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

760818SB-HYDERABAD - August 18, 1976 - 17.11 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād

bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje

lokasyājānato vidvāṁś

cakre sātvata-saṁhitām

(SB 1.7.6)

This is a description of Vyāsadeva. Vidvān. Even from literary point of view, if you see the contribution of Vyāsadeva, it is not possible in any age. So many books. Four Vedas, Vedānta-sūtra, Upaniṣads, Purāṇas, and the most important contribution is the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is his last contribution. Under the instruction of his spiritual master, Nārada Muni, he contributed Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, amalaṁ purāṇam. Amalaṁ purāṇam means there is no material contamination. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣav (SB 4.8.41,CC Adi 1.90), there are material contaminations. But above this is the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vyāsadeva introduces dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra (SB 1.1.2). Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam . . . Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa. There are some contamination, cheating. But all these things are thrown away, projjhita. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpena ujjhita. So Śrīdhara Svāmī has given his comment on this: atra mokṣa-vāñchā api nirastam. Mokṣa-vāñchā, to become one with the Supreme, that is also another cheating. So Śrīdhara Svāmī has given his comment, very reliable comment.

So dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa. People are busy, at least those who are human beings, dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ, beginning with dharma. Economic development, artha. Dharma-artha-kāma, sense gratification. And at the end, mokṣa. Above mokṣa is bhakti. Mokṣa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā,

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

Without being on the platform mokṣa, nobody can enter into the bhakti. It is a misconception that bhakti helps mokṣa. Somebody says; it is not the opinion of the śāstra. Bhakti begins when one is already liberated. Mokṣa. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Without Brahman, without Brahman realization, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, there cannot be jubilation, prasannātmā. This is the sign. What is prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. The material disease is everyone is hankering after something which he hasn't got. And when he loses that thing, he's lamenting. These two business: śocati kāṅkṣati. So brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā, when one is actually self-realized, brahma-bhūtaḥ, na śocati na kāṅkṣati. This is the symptom. Then samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then it is possible to see equally everyone. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18).

So that is liberated stage. So when one has come to the liberated stage, from there he can begin mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). Bhakti means the activities of the liberated stage. That is not material things. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is little difficult to understand because these activities are for the persons who have already attained mokṣa. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated,

māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena ya sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

(BG 14.26)

So do not misunderstand that bhakti is lower than something else. There are karma, jñāna, yoga, bhakti. Bhakti is the ultimate. So if you want to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth, take from His instruction, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If you want to know Kṛṣṇa or the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11) . . . The Absolute Truth is realized from three angles of vision: impersonal Brahman, localized Paramātmā, and ultimately Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. So if you want to understand Bhagavān, Brahman realization is possible. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). This paraṁ padam, Brahman realization. And Paramātmā realization: dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). But if you want to realize the last phase of the Absolute Truth it requires bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55).

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

This is the word used by Kṛṣṇa personally. Nobody understands Him, tattvataḥ, what He is actually. We understand superficially, "Kṛṣṇa was born in Mathurā, and He was the son of Vasudeva, and so on, so on." But one has to understand Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ: in truth. And Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti, he immediately becomes lib . . . If you understand simply Kṛṣṇa, tattvataḥ, then immediately you become liberated. The result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). We are changing our body, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). We are accepting . . . People do not know even this. We have talked with many big, big professors in Europe, in Moscow also, and they say, "Swāmījī, after the annihilation of this body, everything is finished." But we get instruction from the Bhagavad-gītā, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam (BG 2.20).

So we are missing our own culture that we do not take very much care to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We make our wrong interpretation and spoil the whole thing. These habits should be stopped. Otherwise, our culture is almost already lost. Then this bhāratīya culture . . . It is very important culture. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that,

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

Para-upakāra. The bhārata-bhūmi is meant for doing good to others. Bhārata-bhūmi is not meant for exploiting others. This is not bhāratīya mission. Para-upakāra. So every Indian . . . That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Because every Indian is born Kṛṣṇa conscious; naturally he has got instinct. Don't destroy it. Don't destroy it. That is our request. You have got already. We have seen practically, whenever we hold some festival in Calcutta, Bombay and other big cities, thousands of people, twenty thousand, fifteen thousand, thirty thousand people come. They are hankering. So if we simply introduce this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you'll very soon see that the face of India is different. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣāt. We have captured so many anartha. Anartha means meaningless life. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje lokasyājānataḥ (SB 1.7.6). The foolish people, they do not know it. Therefore vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. The sātvata-saṁhitā is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

So let us combinedly preach the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhagavad-gītā ends, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekāṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the end of Bhagavad-gītā's instruction, that "Give up all nonsense. Just take shelter under My lotus feet." If you hesitate, that "If I give up everything . . ." You haven't got to give up everything, but you have to understand the meaning of life. Arjuna, when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, he did not give up his profession as a military man. But what was the change? The change is Kṛṣṇa inquired from Arjuna: "What is now your decision? I have spoken to you everything about jñāna and guhya-guhyatamam. Now you consider upon it, and whatever you like you do." Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). So upon this, Arjuna replied naṣṭo mohaḥ: "My illusion is now over." Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā: "My memory is now returned." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "I shall act according to You." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Try to understand what is the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā. You haven't got to give up everything. You can be engaged in everything, but if you utilize everything according to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa then it will be successful. Otherwise it will be failure. So we have tested all these things, how many programs and plans we have made, and everything has failed. Why not try to take the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and try to utilize it for practical life? And it will be successful. There is no doubt about it.

I am speaking from my practical experience. Now these foreigners, they are neither Hindus nor Indian nor brāhmaṇas. How they are taking? They are not fools and rascals. They are coming from respectable family, educated. So we have got our centers in Iran also, in Tehran. I am just coming from there. We have got so many Muhammadan students, and they have also taken to it. In Africa they have taken to it. In Australia they have taken to it. All over the world. So that is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

(CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)

This is the prediction of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. As many towns and villages are there all over the world, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will be spread.

So there is no credit for me, but it is only a teeny attempt, and humble attempt. So if one man could do, if you say, some success, so why not all of us? Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given power of attorney to all Indians. Bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41). He's speaking to the manuṣya, not to the cats and dogs. So, manuṣya-janma haila yāra janma sārthaka kari'. First of all, try to understand what is the purpose of life. That is called janma sārthaka. Janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra. Go. Everywhere there is very good demand for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So everyone should be prepared. Everyone should understand Bhagavad-gītā. Of course, it is not possible for everyone to go. Still, if one understands . . . That is also Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order: āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). He says, "Every one of you become a guru." "How can I become guru? I am not very learned scholar. I have no education." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No. Even though you are not very much educated or not born of a very high family, you simply yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. That's all. You become a guru." Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Don't adulterate it, but as Kṛṣṇa says, you say. You become guru. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

So I have tried that. I have tried to follow the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, and I am presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. There is no magic, there is no jugglery, and people are taking. If you do that, everyone will be happy, the world will be happy, and India's glory will be spread all over the world.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda! (applause) (end)